Hiei's Three Easy Steps to a Perfect Date
by Cafinatedangel13
Summary: Ok, better summary now that my sister's no longer breathing down my neck. Hiei with a little push from Yusuke asks Botan to go on a date with him. The eternal question is asked again, does a dating guide really help? OOC, everyone. Based on a pic I saw.
1. Chapter 1

**Hiei's Three Easy Steps for a Perfect Date**

Ok, this will be my first attempt at a real multi-chapter story, and romantic comedy. So many firsts in one step!

As usual, criticism will be accepted and appreciated as long as it's constructive. Just reiterate, Hiei is going to obviously OOC throughout pretty much the whole thing, as well as both Yusuke and Kuwabara in at least this first chapter, so if you have a problem with that, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the fanfiction.

Otherwise, sit back, enjoy the ride, and give me your ideas. 

Hiei growled lowly as he leaned against a marble wall, and then growled a little louder when he felt his back slide down slightly. Today had **not** been a good day for the quick-tempered fire demon.

They had just returned from a mission that had indeed been a success, but definitely could have gone better; the green and purple slime oozing down his back and seeping through his clothes was a testament to that.

The putrid smell that currently hung around him was sour and acidic, burning his nose whenever he inhaled. But there wasn't much he could do about it until the Spirit World Handy Man managed to get the massive doors open. Although Hiei personally felt it would be easier to just 'blow the damn doors off their hinges and put them back together later', and Koenma was actually inclined to agree, King Enma was somewhat attached to the red and gold stone doorway and would be quite…upset…if this particular home-improvement plan was implemented.

So the frustrated fire demon was left to rage silently, glaring dangerously at anything that happened to cross his line of vision and ignoring whatever argument Yusuke and Kuwabara had chosen to entertain themselves with, while the elderly spirit tried to find out why exactly the enormous, _heavy_ doors were sticking. Coincidently, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all felt the process would go a little smoother if he would stop trying to _push _them open and look at mechanics that ran them. (Koenma was currently looking to employ a new handy man. The pay's not bad, including room and board, meals are provided at reasonable rates, and could even be negotiated down. Hell, he'd even throw in TOOLS if it means he can get rid of this guy.) Hiei closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as the handy man mumbled incoherently to himself and his teammates moved onto another topic that sounded equally pointless, wondering if he could bang his head off the wall behind him hard enough to lose consciousness. _**When**__ is Kurama getting back from his family reunion?_

Suddenly his sensitive nose detected a soft, sweet scent just under the pungent odor that clogged the hallway. The fragrance was familiar, vanilla complimented by wild honey, just barely touched by jasmine, and maybe a hint of fresh rain. _Botan…_

She was walking beside another ferry girl, the one with the dark hair whom he'd seen once or twice but never actually met, arms laden with manila folders that would need to be sorted and filed away, but this didn't seem to bother her. In fact, she was smiling cheerfully as she chattered on about something Hiei couldn't quite catch with the dark haired women beside her. She interrupted herself with a quick, "Hi boys!" as she hurried past, eager to get the papers filed and put away.

Hiei didn't return her greeting as both Yusuke and Kuwabara had, but his garnet eyes followed her down the hall until she rounded the corner, disappearing from his sight.

"So, you gonna ask her out?"

The fire demon turned sharply, eyes blazing, to see both Yusuke and Kuwabara watching him with interest. Yusuke's chocolate eyes swam with mischief, while Kuwabara looked bored and hopeful that whatever his friend was getting at would provide some sort of entertainment.

"What?" His deep voice was calm and flat, though inwardly he wanted jump the smirking spirit detective and rip that amused, smug look right off his skull.

"Are you gonna ask her out?" Yusuke repeated, fighting to keep the laughter out of his voice. "Botan. We both saw you staring at her."

"I wasn't staring," he denied lowly, also fighting with his own voice, trying to force away the edge that would prove his teammate right. _Oh sure, demons walk right past you and you barely blink. _That_ you notice._

"Well, then you were watching her walk away. Don't worry, I'm not that desperate for entertainment. I won't tell her you like her."

"I don't like her," he retorted, a little too quickly for his 'bored and uninterested' appearance. Mentally he slapped himself; that was a dead giveaway.

"Really?" Yusuke said turning slightly. He ran a hand through his slicked back hair and sighed somewhat disappointedly. "That's too bad because there's all kinds of guys at school chasing after her, eh Kuwabara?"

"Um, I don-" Kuwabara stuttered for a second before catching Yusuke's reprimanding glare. He wasn't sure where Yusuke was going with this, but he'd play along for the time being. "Oh, yeah. Tons."

"What?!" _That_ got his attention. He hadn't even noticed his own unusually emotional outburst.

Yusuke had turned around and was now facing Kuwabara who was simply watching to see what would happen next. Hopefully Hiei would be satisfied with talking to his back because he just couldn't keep the smug smirk off his face. "Yeah, they're always starin' at her when she's 'undercover'. Gets a little unnerving sometimes."

_Well, that much is true_, Kuwabara thought with a mental shrug. The dull grey- blue of the school uniforms complimented her long silky hair and brought out the purple in her amethyst eyes. Her skin was creamy and pale, like porcelain, and she almost sparkled even under the dull fluorescent lights in the halls and classrooms. She had a dazzling smile that lit up the room and matched her sweet, caring personality. Her soft blue hair and pale pink eyes gave her an exotic but innocent appearance that made her coveted by most of the male population of the school.

The false part of the story was that none of them were actually brave enough to chase her. When posing as a student, the ferry girl spent most of her time with either Yusuke or Kuwabara, and that was enough to scare the bravest guy off, leaving Botan blissfully unaware of the appreciative glances of her admirers as well as the angry leers dripping with jealousy from those left ignored.

"Yep," Yusuke continued with his 'little white lie'. "I'd much rather see her with you than one of those weaklings. None of them'd ever be able to protect her on missions or between worlds. Hell, might even try to lock her up if she ever tried to share that part of herself with one of them. Buuuut" he drew out the word for emphasis, "if you're not interested…"

He let the sentence hang with a disappointed shrug and was deeply satisfied when he heard a rough wind in the hall and a chorus of heartbroken ogers who would now have to re-file the day's records because they were unprepared for the semi-panicked fire demon as he desperately began tearing through Spirit World in search of their top ferry girl.

Yusuke chuckled lightly, pleased his plan had worked so easily. "See, Kuwabara, I told you we could get him to open up. He just needed a little motivation!"

The carrot top gave him a bland look. "Well, don't cha thing ya should've 'motivated' him to take a shower first? He's _covered _in demon guts."

Yusuke's triumphant look gave way to one of modest concern. "Maybe Botan won't notice?" 

It didn't take long for Hiei to catch up to Botan. His unnatural speed made locating the right corridor simple; it was the daily life of Spirit World that slowed him down. The impatient fire demon solved this problem by simply removing the obstacles from his path. He'd left a messy trail of dust, papers, pencils, several chairs, one broken desk, twelve ogres of various colors, only three of which were injured, and a lamp shade that no one seemed certain of where it had come from.

"Botan," he called, skidding to a stop behind her.

She turned around, vague confusion evident on her face. "Yes, Hiei?"

And then his mind went blank. Any coherent thought or idea he may have had for this moment had suddenly fled. _Idiot!_ He screamed at himself as he watched her waiting patiently for him to continue. _Don't just stand there! Say SOMETHING!_

"Would you like to come out tonight?" he blurted out. "…With me?" he added as an afterthought.

Botan's expression was a combination of blank wide-eyed confusion, "You mean like a date?"

"Um…yes. A date," he answered fairly certain of the meaning of the word.

Suddenly the ferry girl broke into dazzling, thrilled smile. "Sure, Hiei!" she responded ecstatically. "I'd love to go out with you!"

Hiei released a mental breath, a sudden feeling of peacefulness falling over him. The tension in his shoulders subsided and his hand, which had been clenched into a tight fist since Yusuke began talking, relaxed, his fingers only slightly numb. His face was covered by the blank, but calm expression he wore when the surrounding environment did nothing to deserve his anger. But his usually dark garnet eyes, the color of slowly drying blood, had lightened to a deep crimson only several shades darker than his sister's forever rubies.

Giving a brief nod to the glowing ferry girl, he turned to leave. "Um, hold still a minute." The stoic fire demon froze, his feet feeling like lead as he felt her small, delicate fingers pull something slimy and soft from his currently slick black hair. He was suddenly left very aware of his earlier irritation in the poorly ventilated hallway and the uncomfortably slick, sticky slim still coating most of his body. "Demon entrails, ew," she muttered absently, shaking her hand and slinging the slimy substance onto the wall with a wet sounding 'plop'.

Turning back she smiled sweetly, "See you tonight, Hiei!" For the second time that day, Hiei watched her walk away, his eyes watching intently as her long blue ponytail swayed with her movements. He glared and smirked contentedly at the same time. It was teasing him.

"Uh…door's open." Hiei turned to see Yusuke and Kuwabara surveying the trail he'd left behind him. Kuwabara whistled loudly, and Hiei _almost_ groaned. Koenma was going to have a field day with this. He could already hear the nasally voice whining as it prolonged his probation.

"I thought you didn't like her," Yusuke replied in a teasing note ringing loudly in his voice. Hiei valiantly resisted the urge to growl and set the far too pleased detective aflame, choosing instead to toss his head moodily and not grace him with so much as a glare.

For once, Hiei was pleased the 'oaf' was around when Kuwabara, self-proclaimed Warrior of Love, silenced his friends teasing laughter with a well-placed jab to the back of his head. "Ignored piece of advice, take a shower." Hiei said nothing to the admittedly somewhat dense spirit swordsman as he walked nonchalantly back to the apparently now working doors, deciding that silence would be passable act of thanks.

Instead of following him, like Hiei thought he would, Yusuke pulled something out of his pocket, grinning embarrassedly. "Here," he said thrusting it into the shorter demon's hands. "It helped a lot with Keiko. Just don't tell Kuwabara I used it."

As the detective walked away, Hiei examined the small book he now held. Quietly, he read the title to himself, "_Three Easy Steps for a Perfect Date._"


	2. Chapter 2

**Step One**

Ok, not dead! And still working on this story, though I'm sure it doesn't seem like it. I realize this means absolutely nothing to most people, but I really am very sorry, and I promise to try to be a little faster with my future updates.

Ok, so now that I've finished begging for forgiveness, I found the name of the artist who drew the picture that inspired this story. So, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, lets have some clicking of keyboards for the talented ninjamaster123! It really is a wonderful picture, and I hope any of you out there who haven't already seen it will take a look. I found it when browsing through the HieiBotan Club on deviantart.

Now please enjoy the next few minuets of your life, and remember to tell me what you think. 

An hour, several gallons of extremely hot water, and an unprecedented amount of soap later, Hiei found himself sitting stiffly among the thick, sturdy branches of his favorite tree and probably cleaner than he'd ever been in his entire life. Even so, he couldn't seem to rid himself of the slimy feeling of blood and innards oozing down his body and sticking to his hair. He even found himself running his hands through his hair and across his body repeatedly simply to reassure himself that there was nothing slimy, soft, sticky, or otherwise unidentifiable clinging to the unruly locks of blue-black silk or barely tanned skin.

His clothes, however, had been a lost cause. The dark blue sleeveless shirt he'd been wearing was now a permanent sickly yellow color and smelled as such. The fire demon had been previously unaware that colors possessed scents, but this one certainly did; there was simply no other way to describe it. It was just…yellow. And not the pleasant sunny color advertisement artists seemed so fond of using.

His black fighting pants had retained their onyx color, and only caught the brunt of the smell, but that was more than enough. He was only glad he'd removed his long black cloak beforehand; he was somewhat attached to the garment. The beautiful black and crimson material was as soft as silk, but as strong as steel, and despite its confining appearance, the most comfortable piece of clothing he'd ever owned. He would have hated to have to burn it.

Pushing these thoughts aside for another time, his crimson eyes landed on the book sitting on his lap. It didn't appear to be powerful in any sense of the word. Actually, it was a somewhat tattered and pathetic little thing, with use-worn pages and tears in the paperback cover. It wasn't even a _thick _book; certainly no more than ten pages long and easily slipped into a coat or even pants pocket.

The cover itself was a light purple with randomly arranged bands of deeper violet circling it in various spots. In the very center of the thin paperback cover was what would seem to be a likeness of a human male sitting across from a human female, drawn like shadows at a small table with a candle between them. Set as their background was a large deep red heart outlined in a thick black line. The words 'Three Easy Steps to a Perfect Date' were printed in elegant gold script just above the heart.

All in all, it seemed…almost comical.

Staring suspiciously at the torn and faded cover, Hiei wondered what could possibly be so sinister about this 'Dating Guide'. Yusuke had been adamant that no one, _especially _Kuwabara, was to know that he had used it, despite the fact that he readily admitted that it had helped his…unique…relationship with Keiko.

So what could possibly be so threatening about it that made the typically cocky and arrogant Spirit Detective fearfully hide such a useful item from his best friend?

Perplexing.

Sadly no answer presented itself, and Hiei began to wonder if perhaps it would be wiser to pay the 'oaf' a visit.

Quiet taps echoed softly amid the emerald leaves surrounding him, his nimble fingers drumming distractedly on the cover causing his confusion as he considered the idea. It _did _have possibilities.

While the fire demon expended a great deal of time and effort in insulting the 'oaf' in terms of intelligence, ability, and general name-calling, and meant every one f them, he was well aware that Kuwabara did not call himself the Warrior of Love because he thought it sounded cool. No, while the loudmouthed carrot top was certainly no Cupid, he did have a certain talent when it came to matters of the heart. Hell even _Kurama_ had gone to Kuwabara for advice!

Even better, as he had shown earlier that day, he took the title, and the responsibility that came with it, very seriously. Hiei knew that if he went to Kuwabara, his ally would listen quietly to his concerns and questions before giving him the best advice and help he could without laughing or mocking him, despite their well-known clashes.

To get the necessary assistance, however, he would have to ask. That was something Hiei wasn't sure he could lower his pride enough to do, regardless of the haziness of the alternatives.

Biting his lip in an uncharacteristic expression of uncertainty, he opened the book.

Hiei wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved to find that a decent portion of the few pages of this mysterious book were blank and the first one with any print at all was surprisingly short:

**Step 1. **_Take your sweetheart for a stroll around your local park._

Below that was a picture of a couple walking contentedly through what appeared to be a public garden, disappointing in its lack of detail, but appearing to be an intentional setback.

Hiei frowned but didn't wince as his left fang pierced his lip, though he did quickly switch to tapping his fingers in thought again. He couldn't take her to the park, he basically _lived _there. And besides, Botan came to the park all the time. He'd spent several hours each day sitting in the tree above the old stone bench near the entrance where she liked to sit and read. Not that he'd ever admit to that of course.

But…a walk didn't seem like a bad idea. He'd often watched as the pretty ferry girl simply gazed dreamily at the scenery with that…_wonderful _smile resting on her lips. A walk would give her a chance to bask in her background as she was so fond of doing, only this time he would be a part of that. The barest hints of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips; he liked that thought very much. Yes, a walk would be perfect.

But that still left him the question of where to take her. The park was simply out of the question; he couldn't take her somewhere so…familiar.

His eyes skimmed over the picture again, the flowers were pretty, if poorly drawn, with many colors ranging from soft pinks and blues to vibrant yellows and reds. Such a place would be perfect…

Hiei placed a finger to his chin in thought. There was a valley back in the Makai, not far from the barrier that separated the two worlds. It was quite a lovely place; even he had to admit, with shallow pools full of the most intriguing fish that glowed like aquatic fairies. The Makai's version of the 'firefly' was often attracted to the many sweetly fragranced flowers, far more extravagant and breathtaking than anything he'd ever come across in the Human or Spirit Worlds. A little dangerous perhaps, but his reputation was well-known, more so back in his homeland than even the Spirit World records would convey; it was doubtful that any demon would make an attempt to so much as _look_ at Botan, not with him there.

It was settled then; he would take her there, and she would be quite pleased, he was sure.

But…when was he supposed to take her out? He'd been less than specific with the timing, he realized now, as 'tonight' meant simply that. He didn't want to go to her too early as she would still be working, but if came too late she might feel he had forgotten about her.

So many questions.

Thinking back to the valley he planned show her, around dusk seemed most appropriate. The fireflies would just be arriving, their enchanting lights giving the place a magical appearance. If she felt that was too late, he'd simply have to find some way to make it up to her.

That decided he was left with one question. What the hell was a 'sweetheart'? 

Well, there you have it. Originally I'd planned on going into the first part of the evening in this chapter, but I decided the chapter had a main focus and that wasn't it. I'm fairly happy with the way it turned out, but, as I have stated on numerous occasions, _your _opinion matters, mine does not.


	3. Chapter 3

**Step One: Still**

_Sweet cider, sweet clover, sweet corn, sweeten, sweetener, sweet flag, sweet gale, sweet gum…Here!_

As the tip of Hiei's clawed index finger ended its brief stroll down the heavy cream page he felt a twinge of gratitude to Kurama for his generally annoying obsession with being correct and basic perfection. Otherwise, he didn't know where he'd find such a ridiculously extensive dictionary.

Though he did have to ask himself why the famous thief of Makai had such a flimsy lock on his window…

But that was a question for another time. For the moment he'd simply have to settle for answering this one:

**Sweetheart**_-1. either of a pair of lovers in relation to the other. 2. (sometimes cap.) an affectionate or familiar term of address (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, subordinates, ect.). 3. Informal. A generous, friendly person. 4. Informal. Anything that arouses loyal affection._

As his mind began to pick apart the definition, he found himself tapping the heavy oak-tag page, a nervous habit he was beginning to annoy himself with. The moment realization set in he stopped, instead busying himself with returning the large and awkward leather-bound book back to the empty spot on the shelf, concealing any evidence he had taken it. He did **not **want to have to explain to the fox exactly what had suddenly peaked his interest in human words and pronunciation.

So a sweetheart could be several things. Botan certainly was a 'generous, friendly person', so he supposed she was indeed a 'sweetheart'. But in relation to being _his _sweetheart…

Hiei didn't think so. In fact he was pretty sure about that. But as he continued to think about it, he decided that was what he wanted her to be, and, perhaps, tonight would set things on the path to making her just that.

But he didn't think he'd _ever_ use the word.

The returning journey to Spirit World was a disappointingly uneventful one. Demented as it seemed, even to himself, Hiei rather liked when troubled, restless spirits wandered through the planes looking for methods, usually violent methods, to ease their torment. Usually these attacks were strange occurrences in the weather, (Meaning one never knew exactly what to wear in the Realm Between Worlds; though, many such spirits did seem quite taken with huge, violent lightning storms. So raincoats and rubber-soled shoes have generally been agreed on.) but very few were more inclined to attack in more physical forms, which, on a good (Or bad, depending on the point of view.) day, had the potential to provide Hiei with a few hours' worth of entertainment.

It was a little sick, he had to admit, but Hiei never felt quite as alive as when someone was trying to kill him.

He supposed, however, that the quiet journey was a good thing in any case. This time he was not on his way to appear before a toddler that would give him orders to fix problems he didn't care about in a world that he would more or less prefer didn't even exist. Or, at the very least, existed without _him_ in it.

No, he couldn't afford to be late. This time he was on his way to see a pretty girl who talked too much if had any opinion on the subject, cared too much for her own good, didn't seem to be in touch with reality every so often, and was so gullible it was sad.

This time it was _important_.

The impressive red and gold doors at gate opened without so much as a squeak, much to Hiei's instant relief. Not that it showed, but in an ironic twist of the emotions, the fire demon had been terrified he'd arrive to find the doors stuck tight again and be locked outside the palace. A favorable situation any other time, but damn near heartbreaking in this one.

The marble halls seemed to be back in order, the only thing out of place appeared to be a small group of multi-colored ogres gathered in a huddle still trying to figure out exactly where that stupid lampshade came from, and can they send it back there because really what would they do with a lamp shade?

In a few brief moments of curiosity, Hiei allowed his eyes to sweep across the various rooms and halls as he made his way through the now dangerously lively, but clean, halls of Spirit World. He had never seen much of the palace before, always heading straight for Koenma's office and back to the front gate again (Baring his first trip), and, although he'd never given it much thought before, now that the opportunity had been presented, he decided he would like to see what all the fuss was about.

The palace was worthy of its admirers, he decided, with marble halls the glistened in the light and shown with ghostly elegance in the more shadowed places. The space also seemed to be practically used, every inch put to work and not wasted on artistry as he would have expected from the self-important Koenma.

Unfortunately, the organization system of Spirit World was…well an insult to the word at best. He guessed that was probably why the ogres were constantly running around the place and, if it was even possible, making a bigger mess of things. It was no wonder Koenma had so much trouble keeping order, and Hiei wondered how the whole palace had avoided crumbling into dust by now.

Then again, the very fact that this mess had, for lack of a better term, worked for such an extensive amount of time did make a valid point about the system. There were hundreds of ogres running into each other, ferry girls losing papers, entire life histories of people from every realm vanishing, but at the end of the day, everything still worked. Perhaps there was some big secret behind it all.

Hiei felt that he had wasted enough time caring.

The light perfume of safety and relaxation found in every home told him he'd reached the rooms of the ferry girls. This hall was lined with dark cherry wood doors, identical except for names written in every style, color, and place along each one; a little taste of the person one would find inside.

No two were the same in any aspect, some were very similar, as even snowflakes often are, but the color would be just the slightest hint darker, the slant a little sharper, the script not quite as elegant, the placement on the door a touch lower. Each was an individual and stood out in its own way

Ignoring the natural curiosity of all living creatures, Hiei pulled his eyes from the various and fascinating doors to focus on one.

A barely noticeable smile edged itself onto his lips as his crimson eyes swept over the door in front of him; it was exactly how he had pictured it. Her name was encased in a silvery light blue that made the mind jump immediately to stars. The letters were big, but not huge, just enough to be eye-catching, written in a…cute…scrawl of half handwriting half printing, slightly slanting upwards in the top left-hand corner. Bright, cheerful, childish, inviting. _Botan…_

The fire demon felt a light burst of pride in his chest at knowing the ferry girl so well.

This pleasant thought in mind, he gently curled his fingers into a fist and lightly tapped the door.

Ok, let me just say I am really, really, really sorry. I hate that it takes me so long to update and I know how irritating it is to wait and wait for the next chapter. But I promise I'm trying, and while I can't promise it won't take so long for the next one, or any future chapters, I promise I will not just stop writing the story.

That being said, what do you think? Once again, I'd intended to begin the date in this chapter, but I took so long updating I had to put up SOMETHING. And it just seemed like such a good place to stop…but again, I want your opinions, so let me know what _you _think.

"Hiei never felt quite as alive as when someone was trying to kill him."-Stolen almost directly from Terry Prattchet's _Men at Arms_. I recommend this book to everyone. It's a little confusing and rambly, but that's one of the great things about it. It's part of a series, but while it's a little less confusing if you've read at least _Guards! Guards! _First, they don't need to be read in any order.

"_Sweet cider, sweet clover, sweet corn, sweeten, sweetener, sweet flag, sweet gale, sweet gum_

**Sweetheart**_-1. either of a pair of lovers in relation to the other. 2. (sometimes cap.) an affectionate or familiar term of address (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, subordinates, ect.). 3. Informal. A generous, friendly person. 4. Informal. Anything that arouses loyal affection._"-A courtesy of the Random House Webster's College Dictionary.

I'm fairly certain that's everything I took from other people, well, ya know besides the idea for the story. In any case if you happen to find something else, bring it to my attention and I'll address it in the next chapter.

Again, really sorry!


	4. Chapter 4

**Step One: The Evening Begins**

The heavy wooden door swung open, revealing Botan in a way that Hiei had never seen before.

Her typical pink kimono was gone but was not replaced with blue jeans and t-shirts as she sometimes wore when visiting the human world. In their places she wore a light skirt that stopped just above her knees, a purple so deep it faded into red. The unfamiliar pair of scandals covering her feet matched it perfectly.

Unlike the eye-catching jewel embroidered and silky blouses he could recall in both the human world and Makai, which were pretty enough and served their purpose of attracting attention, Botan had chosen a soft crushed velvet that caught the light and sparkled without the help of jewels or glitter. Set against a black background were randomly arranged splashes of yellow-greens and reds that shimmered like flowers dampened by dew. The wide collar showed off the pale skin of her neck and face, which seemed to glow against the enchanting colors.

Her soft blue hair was pulled into her trademark ponytail; he could see it sway over her shoulder, already swaying against her shoulders from her slight movements, weaving its own enchantment. Yes, that was the word to describe the brilliant sight before him. _Enchanting_.

Hiei suddenly felt off-balance and uncertain, a new and troubling experience for the self-confident fire demon. The book had not mentioned appropriate dress, and, ignoring the fact that he had no formal clothes (Such possessions are unnecessary and often problematic in the wilderness of Makai.), he had not given it any thought before that moment.

He had simply worn what he always did, a pair of black fighting pants and boots with a new grey-blue, sleeveless shirt. His long black cloak and snowy white scarf gave him some semblance of formality, but the sword at his side made him appear casual to anyone who'd spent any amount of time with him. He only hoped he had not offended Botan by not wearing formal attire; a possibility made more plausible through his ignorance of human customs.

But his fears were proved groundless as Botan did not seem at all concerned with his state of dress. Flashing him a brilliant smile, she stepped into the hall, closing the door behind her, a soft greeting floating from her lips.

His own responded with a slight quirk upward, unable and unwilling to hide this new enjoyment he felt from the situation.

"HIEI!" His own greeting died on his lips at the shrill, high-pitched screech echoing through the hall.

For the second time that day, Hiei _almost _ flinched. His face fell automatically into an emotionless mask, his eyes hardening to chips of steadily darkening garnet. Unnoticed by even the most thoroughly trained eye, his stance stiffened from relaxed to guarded as he stared intently at the area just to the left of Botan; his acknowledgement that he had indeed heard the shrieking prince behind him.

Even without turning, Hiei could interpret every move Koenma made. He could hear the moderately loud tapping of his shoes against the marble floor, their song quickened by anger and frustration, their notes just a bit heavier than usual.

Again unnoticed to anyone, Hiei stole a glance out of the corner of his eye, to see that Koenma had indeed chosen his teenage-form, probably to seem more intimidating. Not that the prince could ever really manage that even with the power of the three worlds at his feet, but it was a bit easier to take him seriously when he didn't look ready for naptime.

It occurred to Hiei that he'd never actually seen Koenma angry before, and now the prince was positively livid. He walked with quick, graceful steps quite unknown to him, his light brown hair moving with the breeze of his movements, his dark brown eyes blazing. His long red scarf flowed behind him like a foreboding omen of misfortune. For the first time, Hiei could almost see Yusuke's favorite toddler as a figure of authority.

Of course, the effect was somewhat broken by the pacifier clutched savagely between his teeth…

"Do you have ANY idea how much damage your trip through Memory Lane caused?!" The prince shrieked, not bothering to wait until he reached the unflinching fire demon; though, his voice was steadily climbing to that range which only dogs could hear. Hiei's ears were beginning to ring as Koenma came to halt, body actually trembling with rage, before him. He almost considered showing _some_ respect and turning to face the furious prince. Almost.

"Hn." He successfully kept his voice flat and bored, not at all willing to show that he was the least bit impressed with the fire he could clearly see smoldering in young prince's eyes.

Koenma didn't seem put off by his lack of response, continuing to plunge right through the lecture he obviously planned to give. Though, at the moment, that lecture seemed to merely consist of whatever happened to be running though his head with no real plan or order. "This is a very serious matter, Hiei! People have forgotten their birthdays, where they work, that they're driving…We've had twelve cases of completely forgotten identities!-"

"Koenma Sir," Botan interrupted sweetly, "Hiei and I were just about to go out, so if you could just continue this…conversation tomorrow…"

"-Twenty fatalities! These people weren't supposed to die for another s-You're going out?" Koenma interrupted his own rant, face bleached of all fury as his features quickly twisted into an interesting combination of shock and pleasant surprise.

"Mhm," Botan responded with a cheerful smile.

"Like…together?" The words came out slowly, as if his brain was having a difficult time keeping up with his mouth.

Botan nodded, her lips pressing together to keep the obvious laughter bubbling in her throat where it was.

"You're going to leave here, at the same time, willingly spend several hours in each other's company, and then come back? Together?" Hiei scowled at the prince's questioning. Why shouldn't Botan spend time with him?

But Botan merely lost the hold over her giggles breaking from their prison and spilling from her lips. "That's about the size of it," she managed to choke out.

"Oh." Hiei couldn't place the expression on Koenma's face, but he didn't upset with these developments, and all traces of his earlier rage seemed lost and forgotten. "Well, have fun then." The sentiment appeared to be an automatic response, but sincere at the same time.

"Thank you," Hiei grumbled out as the befuddled prince walked, much more slowly, back in the direction he'd come from, pleasantly puzzled expression still etched across his face. Botan's lovely pink eyes widened a fraction at his sentence, and he himself wasn't certain _why_ he'd said it, gratitude was not a trait he was known for, but he supposed he meant it. She'd saved his ears (Which were still ringing painfully) from several hours of that torture, and there seemed to be a decent chance that Koenma had forgotten he intended to punish him at all. Besides, there was just something about Botan…She deserved to be thanked simply for existing.

The ferry girl shrugged off her surprise quickly, far more quickly than anyone else would have, and flashed his favorite smile, offering her hand. "No problem. Where are we going?"

His crimson eyes, rapidly brightening from bloody garnet to dark ruby, rested on her pale hand for several moments, memorizing the pattern of her skin, every curve of her slender fingers, before grasping it in his own, his skin appearing strangely tan in contrast with hers. As he began leading her back to the beautiful red and golden doors he'd become so familiar with that day, his eyes moved from their intertwined fingers to her sparkling pink orbs and he felt his lips curve into a very pleased smirk. 

Ok, this would be loaded with a million 'I'm sorry's', except I don't think that I can really convey just how sorry I truly am for the lack of updates in the passed few weeks.

(Months!)

Shhhh! And I'm currently being distracted by a very bizarre conversation about the trials and tribulations of canned soup, courtesy of my best friend who shall remain nameless. In any case, I honestly do apologize for my seemingly abandonment of this story. What can I say, summer's over. My-best-friend-who-shall-remain-nameless, felt that it was best if I break this chapter up into two, so that just so that you'll have something. If you like this idea, thank him for that. If not, well, that's ok you don't know where he lives.

Also, do you think the story is…consistent. It's been a while since I've looked at it all together, and I'd like some direction on that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Step One Ends-Finally!**

Well, I would just like to open by say I am **SO **sorry.

Ok, this would be the part where I offer you myriad perfectly logical and acceptable excuses for my completely unforgivable absence for how many months, but I don't much believe in excuses. Just know that I really am sorry I left you hanging and while it will probably happen again, I will not simply stop. I promise you will get to see how the story ends.

If you're even still interested that is. 

The quiet gasp that escaped her lips was like soft music floating on the breeze as Botan gazed around the valley in awe. As Hiei had anticipated, the fireflies were filtering in from all directions, various hues of sparkling gold and silver darting about excitedly, the air rich with their energy.

The energetic balls of light shimmered lightly in the soft moonlight and sparkled brightly against the dimness of the night, like stars that she could reach out and touch. The flowers were just as vibrant and exotic as he remembered them, ranging from rich crimson petals to melancholy blue blossoms and every color in between. Some were as soft as silk and just as fragile, nearly torn to shreds by the pleasant spring breeze. Others were almost stone-like and sparkled in the dim light.

Here and there pools of almost fragrant water bubbled and miniature waterfalls splashed over beautiful marble boulders and creeping crystals that made their homes among the plants and stones. Everything was alive and energetic, a rare find in the Makai so full of death and reality. This little piece of imagination, a scene from a fairytale amid the blood and revenge, was something even Hiei couldn't help but adore.

And Botan…she fit. Like she had always been a part of this world outside the world. The light that sparkled from the fireflies bathed her perfectly giving her an ethereal appearance far more goddess than mortal. Her pretty pink eyes shimmered in the moonlight as she gazed adoringly at the valley, wonder and bliss fighting for dominance in her expression.

She giggled softly as a curious firefly flew up to her nose for a closer look. The quiet hum of the rapidly beating wings was vaguely musical, a melody played just for the two of them. Botan hummed in response to the tiny demon, and Hiei decided he like her voice. Soft and mystic, like crystal bells but never the same one twice. He hoped she kept it up.

The firefly seemed equally pleased, twirling in dizzying pirouettes before settling amid her azure locks, giving her hair that ethereal glow. She shimmered like the water in the pools surrounding them. Yes, she fit perfectly.

"Hiei?" The fire demon shook himself, puzzled at the questioning tone in her voice. "What's the matter? Did something get caught on me?" she asked, twisting around to check her blouse and skirt for various imperfections and local plant life that might be stuck to either one.

Oh! She'd caught him staring.

"Hn. You look nice." His tone was flat, and his voice was low, and even he knew the intended compliment sounded…vaguely insulting in his voice, especially if one was aware of the sarcastic undertones that were a permanent fixture in his speech.

But Botan seemed to understand his meaning, beaming a flattered smile at him and closing her hand around his. Her pale skin was soft and cool against his battle worn fingers. The feeling was alien and unfamiliar, but he liked it and quickly intertwined his hand with hers in hopes to keep her there just a bit longer.

Just as he had imagined, Botan was completely intrigued by the valley. Every so often she ran up ahead when something new caught her attention, and, although he could have easily kept pace with her, he let her skip in front him so he could watch that teasing ponytail bounce childishly against her shoulders. He also liked that every time he caught back up, she grabbed his hand again, flashing him another amazing smile and chattering on about how beautiful everything was, asking about how he'd found this place and if he returned by himself every now and then.

Once again, the ferry girl had run ahead a few feet, this time to examine a low pool filled with the fairy fish. She kneeled on the ground beside the shallow water, fingertips just above the surface as the glowing white fish swam below in their own investigation. Hiei watched her blue ponytail slide over her shoulder to trail in the crystal water and…

…tensed, his hand taking the familiar path to his sword. Why had the fireflies stopped humming? And the creeping crystal was not glowing or pulsing. Even the fairy fish seemed to be retreating back as far as they could into the pool. Everything was suddenly quiet and very, very still.

_Whoosh_.

If anyone had been watching the fire demon at that moment, they would have seen his eyes darken in an instant from dirty garnet to drying blood as they followed the sound without turning from Botan. The ferry girl probably took the sound for the wind through the trees and other surrounding foliage. But Hiei saw that nothing swayed; there was no wind.

_Whooshwhooshwhoosh._

The air whispered, and he strained his ears a little more, trying to hear what it was telling him.

_Whooshwhoosh. Creek._

Something was flitting through the trees. That meant whatever it was was close. But he couldn't smell anything he didn't before…

A soft intake of breath.

But it didn't come from him or Botan. Then it clicked.

"Botan, get down!" He didn't wait for her reaction. Within seconds he had her pulled against him and in the air, just in time to hear the shriek.

A frightened gasp escaped her lips, "A Banshee." They landed several feet away from the pool, and he nodded at her assessment as he set her down. His eyes never left the patch of trees he was sure the sound had come from.

His mind raced; Banshees were rare, almost mere myth in the Makai, and he was uncertain of how to proceed from here. But of course even they would be attracted to the energy and _life_ of this place.

Banshees were fairly peaceful creatures that had acquired a bad reputation in the human world. The stories of a Banshee's shriek bringing death had been ridiculously exaggerated, and the ones about announcing death were only moderately accurate.

They fed on pain, usually the kind emitted from a painful, violent death. But the wail of a Banshee did not cause death or pain; actually, it drew the pain to the Banshee like a straw, acting something like an anesthetic for its 'victim'. The shriek itself, however, was not quiet, or something you wanted to get in the way of, hence the human myths concerning them. But for the most part, these apparitions were happy to stay out the lives of the living, content in their own pocket of reality.

Unfortunately, as with any species, there were a few warped ones that did not lead so tame an existence. The shriek attacked the different nerve endings affecting the pleasure center of the mind. When directed at a perfectly healthy being, instead of blocking pain, the sound picked up on every painful experience that being ever had and enhanced it. The result was as destructive as an upper level demon attack; the sad remains of the fairy fish Botan had been admiring were a tragic testament to that. These rogue Banshees hunted and killed prey with their voices, and the victim died in more pain than even Hiei could stand to imagine.

Equally unlucky, since Banshees existed in a pocket of reality, they were almost impossible to kill from where even the members of Spirit World stood because technically they were not there, not _all_ there anyway. This outside existence gave them the ability to hunt in all dimensions instead of just one. With typical Banshees, this was not a problem; in fact it was beneficial in a way, but with rogues like this one…

The intake of breath alerted him, and again he had Botan in the air and out of the way. A creeping crystal screamed with the unimaginable pain caused by the Banshee's cry, a terrible shower of colors and sparkles blending together in what can only be described as _hurt_, and was forever still.

Hiei and Botan landed just inside the tree line and scanned the valley as the Banshee abandoned the idea of stealth and flitted into the clearing, revealing itself at last.

Like some of the most dangerous things in the world, it was heartbreakingly beautiful. Tall and slender with cream pale skin and milky white hair, though, like all of its kind, it was impossible to tell if it was male or female. A silvery glow emitted from its skin, like a halo surrounding an angel. But its eyes were horrific. Stone grey without pupils and clouded over. In those eyes, Hiei saw the determined single-mindedness of a crazed hunter. And those dead eyes rested on solely on the ferry girl beside him.

Without hesitation, Hiei flitted head on into the Banshee, placing himself between the insane apparition and Botan. In one fluid motion he released his sword from its sheath and slashed at the Banshee. But he knew he was reacting on instinct; not only would his sword have no effect, but Banshees were naturally agile, quick creatures. And this one had already proved to be almost his equal in grace and speed. Without a charm of some kind to bring the Banshee into this dimension alone, the most he could do was distract it. He knew the most he could hope for was that the Banshee chose to _play _with him. Words would have to be invented to express just how badly that knowledge _grated_ on him.

But the Banshee was not in the mood for games. Its gaze never strayed far from Botan.

Hiei felt his heartbeat increase as he watched the creature's jaw drop. Its chest rose with a sharp intake of breath. Lungs inflated, preparing for the kill with those horrid silver eyes staring lifelessly at the defenseless ferry girl. Hiei saw the moment of vulnerability and _struck_.

Like all predators, a Banshee has moments where it is left exposed, the moment just before it lets out its infamous shriek. But its moment of weakness will not bring it into another plane of existence, so, unlike anything else that found itself on the wrong end of Hiei's sword, it did not die. But it was _extremely _pissed off.

Botan forgotten, the creature spun, fluidly dislodging the blade from its chest as well as removing it from Hiei's hand. Its perfect face was a mask of rage, silver eyes growing cloudier and mouth twisted in a feral snarl.

For the first time in his life, Hiei felt intimidated. Involuntarily he took a step back before cursing himself for the display of cowardice. His face melted into his famous condescending smirk, eyes as cold as frozen blood. He felt his body respond to his mindset, falling into the familiar battle crouch. If nothing else, he could go down swinging.

Once again the Banshee dropped its jaw and inhaled deeply, this time stepping forward…

**THUD!**

A sickening _crack_ followed the thick sound of Botan's wooden oar making contact with the back of the Banshee's skull. Its silvery eyes lost the milky sheen and sparklingly clear for a moment before rolling back in its head as it crumpled to the ground. But Botan was far from finished, bring her oar down swiftly again to the same place several times until the crumpled body faded out of existence.

Botan released a slow breath as pushed the stray hairs that had escaped her ponytail during her relentless attack back behind her ear. Her pink eyes met his confused ones as he relaxed and fell out his stance.

"How?" was the only brilliant remark he could manage to form. His voice did not waver, though his expression had melted into the blank mask that those who knew him took as a pleasant smile.

Botan bit her lip self-consciously as she stepped over the spot where the Banshee had lain moments before to stand at his side. "Death is the only constant in any dimension," she explained. "So, technically, my oar at least exists in all of them at once."

Hiei considered this for a moment before deciding that is was probably for the best that he didn't quite understand, and gave her a brief nod.

The rest of the walk was relatively boring in comparison, but Botan wrapped her arms securely around his left arm and jumped a little at every sound, causing her silky blue hair brush against cheek and neck. Hiei couldn't find a cause for complaint.


End file.
